Return to Cocoon
by ZuZuFarron21
Summary: Vanille and Fang wake up in a strange warehouse with no idea when or where they are. However when both hear a voice calling out to them for help, both are determined to oblige. Old friends and new pull together to save Lightning from an unknown enemy...
1. Prologue

**Opening her eyes, the girl lifted her head up, taking in the blurry surroundings in which she'd awoken. Shifting slightly to sit up and touching her forehead with a groan as a wave of nausea swept over her and she remained still for a while until she felt ready to stand. As her vision cleared she slowly tried to make sense of where she was but found she couldn't recognise the place.**

"**Vanille"**

**A weakened, tired voice called out to her and she spun around, her head clearing, visions of her past flooding her skull, remembering everything that had happened as the voice called again...**

"**Vanille"**

**"LIGHTNING...LIGHTNING WHERE ARE YOU?"**

**Only silence greeted her, with a faint echo of her own voice. She stopped running towards nothing as more memories overwhelmed her. Hope, Snow, Sazh, Serah and...**

**"FANG?"**

**Panic. If she'd woken up from crystal stasis then Fang should've done so too, so where was she?**

**"FANG? OERBA YUN FANG ANSWER ME PLEASE..."**

**"nille..."**

**A faint whisper, more of a groan, hit her ears.**

**"Va...nille..."**

**Following the voice past a few large metal containers, pausing to take note of the name on one of them before a flash of Red caught her eye a little too late and she stumbled over Fang's lance, landing beside her close companion.**

"**FANG!"**

**She threw her arms around the raven haired woman and laughing in delight. This proved to perk the Pulsian woman up and she opened her eyes, looking around warily before returning the embrace tightly.**

"**Vanille, god how long have I missed you for?"**

"**I don't know, but I missed you too"**

**They held each other for a while before Fang pulled back, reaching for her lance and standing, helping the orange haired girl up and pulling her into her shoulder, looking around as a voice echoed through her mind.**

"**Fang..."**

**Vanille felt the woman's muscles tense up and her eyes dart around frantically, searching.**

"**Fang Please..." **

**"Light?"**

**"You can hear her too?"**

**She nodded sharply and called out to the pink haired soldier.**

**"LIGHTNING? LIGHTNING WHERE ARE YOU, WE'LL COME GET YA..."**

**Nothing. But Fang's shouting had attracted some attention and voices were heard from the halls around them. The two Pulsians jumped, back to back, readying their weapons as several men wearing PSYCOM like uniforms surrounded them. Vanille heard Fang hiss under her breath.**

**"Damnit, looks like these idiots are still running things"**

**"But I thought they'd stopped after Ra...you know..."**

**"After Ragnarok, yes I thought that too"**

**Guns cocked in all directions as the circle tightened around the pair. Vanille felt frightened, both of them were still weak from the stasis and had no chance against this many armed men, even if they tried. Fang's heart pounded in her chest, she knew she wouldn't go down without a fight but her head was still spinning a little. One of the men stepped forward, aiming his gun directly at Vanille's forehead and Fang gave a yell, lunging forward and smacking the soldier across the face with her lance and standing in front on the younger girl.**

**"Don't touch her"**

**One move and the fight was on. Each flicked a button or switch and their gun's became sabers and swords. Fang moved first, taking out the nearest soldier with a swipe of the lance and other swarmed in. Vanille, though weakened, still managed to get a couple down but more kept coming. Then she tripped and three men grabbed her, lifting her off the floor and pulling her away from the main fight.**

**"FANG HELP!"**

**"VANILLE, GET AWAY FROM HER!"**

**Distracted for just a moment, the men took their opportunity and grabbed her too, struggling to keep her under control as she was forced to the floor, to her knees. Slowly her energy died down and she stopped struggling against the restraints. **

**"FANG!"**

**"VANILLE NO!"**

**Vanille was held still as a man took position behind her and pressed the barrel of his gun against the back of her head. His finger steadied on the trigger and screams echoed across the room as he prepared the end the life of the girl before him when, in the brief silence, a loud voice took all the soldiers by surprise.**

**"STOP!"**

**The two Pulsians looked up at the doorway the voice had come from and saw a tall man striding towards them.**

**"MY ORDERS WERE TO FIND THE INTRUDERS AND BRING THEM TO ME, DID I ASK FOR THEM TO DIE?"**

**The man holding the gun to Vanille's skull lowered his gun and let out a shameful sigh.**

**"No Sir, Sorry Sir"**

**"Precisely, now release them"**

**His orders were followed and Fang pulled Vanille into her arms and shielded her from the men's gazes, rubbing her back softly to calm her shaking. The men moved aside so the 'Leader' could see the two women and He removed his helmet, shaking out a mop of tousled silver hair.**

"**Oerba Yun Fang…"**

**She turned her head sharply to face him, her eyes widening and her jaw dropping as she caught sight of his face.**

"**and Oerba Dia Vanille"**

**The younger girl heard her name and moved round Fang to look at the man before them, a gasp escaping her lips as she took in the messy grey hair and bright green eyes that she'd come to know so well in the past, feeling tears sting her eyes.**

"**It's been a while…"**

"**Hope!"**


	2. Reunion

**Hope Estheim laughed** **as Vanille run into him, throwing her arms around his waist in delight at seeing her old friend again. Fang shook her head in disbelief and joined the pair, resting a hand on his shoulder, a gesture all too familiar to the trio. However old he was now Fang didn't know but he was easily a good head taller than her, his shoulders broad and strong. His face, no longer softly rounded, was well defined with a sharp, angled jawline and lean, high cheekbones. Yes he'd certainly grown up over the years they'd been crystal for, not to mention very easy on the eyes now too. Fang smirked as Vanille finally let go of Hope and looked up at him, eyes wide…**

"**You're much taller now"**

"**Yeah, so now who's the squirt?"**

"**Hey…"**

"**Ah I'm just kidding, god I missed you"**

**He punctuated his final line by hugging Vanille again and lifting her off the ground, twirling round once causing the girl to squeal happily. Fang let out a laugh and Hope swiftly put Vanille down and eyed the older woman with a grin.**

"**Ah come here Fang"**

**She shook her head again and walked forward and giving him a well-earned hug, Vanille merely continued to jump up and down happily at seeing him again. Then someone cleared their throat, drawing the trio's attention back to the remaining soldiers in the room and Hope released Fang, turning to then with a stern look.**

"**I want you showered and ready for tonight's raid, got it?"**

"**Yes Sir"**

"**Good, Dismissed"**

**The men filed out of the room and he turned back to the Pulsian's with a smile. Fang raised an eyebrow at the boy and smirked.**

"**Sir?"**

**He nodded, tilting his head to one side, motioning to the parallel yellow bars on the shoulder of his uniform before raising his hand to his forehead in a half salute.**

"**Sergeant Estheim at your service"**

**Fang snorted and leant on her lance, looking him up and down with a grin.**

"**Well, at least some of the stuff we taught you's gone into good use"**

**He nodded with a grin before looking down at Vanille who was stood, apparently counting on her fingers, next to him.**

"**Vanille, what are you doing"**

"**How long have we been crystal for?"**

**Fang's smile vanished and she looked across at her companion. Hope frowned and lifted a hand up to his head, running his fingers through the silver locks in thought.**

"**Well, last time I saw you was right before Cocoon's crystallization and I joined the Expeditionary Corps about 9 months after that so you've been gone for just over 10 years"**

"**10 YEARS! That long? Really?"**

**Hope gave a solemn nod and shrugged.**

"**You sacrificed a lot that day Vanille, be thankful you woke up now and not 100 years later"**

**Fang nodded and walked over to the orange haired girl, laying her arm gently across her shoulders. Vanille smiled and looked up at the Sergeant with a grin.**

"**So that would make you 24 right? Have you asked Lightning out yet?"**

"**Vanille!"**

**The younger girl giggled at Fang's scolding whilst Hope's face fell, his eyes darkening with unhidden concern. He turned back to Vanille with a frown and shook his head…**

"**No…No One's seen Light since the day we last met"**

"**We? As in…"**

"**You and Me. Since the day you two turned into crystal no one has seen Lightning. I've heard rumours that she died but Snow was convinced that she was helping you hold up Cocoon. I didn't believe she was dead so I joined the EC and made my way up until I found the time gate. Then I set up the academy and well…here we are"**

**Fang cast a downward glance to the floor, scanning her brain for anything she could remember that may or may not help them find her. Vanille looked from Hope to Fang before looking around the warehouse they were in, if it was a warehouse.**

"**Vanille…"**

**She froze, trying to make it look natural, listening out again.**

"**Vanille Listen…"**

"**I am listening Lightning, where are you?"**

"**The time gate…"**

"**What about it Lightning?"**

"**The time gate is…"**

"**Lightning? LIGHTNING?"**

**She looked around, as if the voice was echoing off the walls but nothing more came. Fang noticed and walked over to her, pressing a hand onto her shoulder causing Vanille to jump. She frowned at the younger girl and lowered her voice a little.**

"**You heard her voice again?"**

**The slight nod was all Fang needed and she turned to Hope who looked just as freaked as Vanille, he walked over to the pair and stood before Vanille, looking down at her.**

"**You hear her, don't you?"**

**Fang arched an eyebrow and patted the young man's arm.**

"**You too?"**

"**Yeah, for a while now, it started about a month back when we made plans to re-route the time gate's destination path…"**

**Vanille's eyes lifted to his face and she took Hope's hand in hers, pulling him towards the doorway without a word. Hope yelped and looked to Fang for help as she darted forward to halt Vanille.**

"**Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy there Vivi, what you thinking?"**

"**The time gate, that's what Light was saying, and you started hearing her after you planned to re-route it right?"**

**A quick nod and Vanille continued.**

"**Well then that's what Lightning's wants us to focus on, so we need to have a look at this time gate…Now. COME ON!"**


End file.
